The Portland daily press., 1887-10-08
THE MAINE STATE PRESS.
ALABAMA BLOOD HOUNDS.
Scenes In One Of the Better Convict
Camps of the South.

Journeying across the country through the
''old fields" of Northern Alabama the trav-
eler learns to be prepared for surprises,
writes a Southern correspondent. One
worn-out farm succeeds another. There
are thousands and thousands of acres
thrown out in commons, the fences gone and
the land covered with growth of rag weed
and dotted by clumps of scrub oak. Occas-
ionally there is batch of cotton in cultiva-
ton and primitye-looking log farm house
shows signs of occupancy. 1t is ''hard
scrabble" country sure enough. But a turn
in the road or the rise of hill brings a
change of scene which is in startling contrast
Here are rows after rows of new cottages,
an ambitious, many-gabled and fancifully
painted hotel iron furnaces in blast, new
railroads building, brickyards and coal
mines in operation, electric lights and street
railroads, all fresh and new. everything
going. with rush. The transition from the
abandoned ''0ld field' to the streets OF a
brand new city is sudden. This is the land
of the Birm inghams, the Admissions, the
lrondales. the Bessemers, the Anomalies, and
forty other new manufacturing centres, great
and small The development has been so
rapid that the new railroads have not had
time to name all of their stations, and some
stopping places 60 by such designations as
nuAAC
and the like.
In the midst Of this odd mixture of the old
and abandoned with the new and coverted Is
the principal convict camp OF Alabama. A
stranger might wander about among these
hills and never imagine there was com
munity of 700 prisoners within a few miles of
him. A guide is as necessary as a strong
horse and stout vehicle to reach the coal
mines over the rough country roads.
At the slope the convicts are to be seen in
their regular quarters.
There was no previous intimation of a
visit to the camp, but the quarters were
clean and the beds were superior to any
thing of the kind seen in the Georgia convict
camps. Another comparison may be drawn.
1t is the regular thing in Georgia to have
heavy chain stretched along the foot Of each
bed the length of the sleeping hall. When
the convicts go to bed one leg Of each man Is
anchored by shorter chain to the chain on
the floor The absence of of this night-chain
at Pratt mines was remarked. Eve used to
have that SYSTEM, said Mr.. G. A. Simmons
the yard boss, "YOu can see the place
where the big chain was attached. But we
have done away with night-chaining. Men
sleep better, and we have found that we can
guard them just as we'll"
A fence Of boards on end, perhaps Is feet
high, surrounds the prison house and mcloses
quite yard. Penitentiary officials will be
incredulOus when told that one man who sits
in a little watch-tower over the low picket
gate, which is the only entrance to the yard,
does all the guarding for yard and prison
building. AT night two guards are put on
duty in the centre of the building. They
can look down the rows of sleepers in three
different directions, and see any unusual
movement. Time was when Gordon of
men hedged in the Alabama convicts. Now
two men do what twenty used to do. As one
convict expressed 1t, ''the discipline is not
one-fourth as strict as it was in the army"
There is something besides moral suasion
and good treatment on which the lessees of
the convicts at Pratt mines rely to maintain
the safekeeping of their 700 prisoners. With
only high fence between the conyicts and
the woods, with all the chances of escaping
the bullets from single rifle in break for
liberty, it seems strange that more attempts
are not made. The explanation is found in
the presence Of the big-legged, long-eared
yellow hounds which lie about the st0ckade.
The Pratt mines people pride themselves on
having the finest trailers in the State If not
in the entire South. One mans time is taken
in breeding and training and the strain is
maintained in all its purity. These dogs
loaf about the stockade yard, mingling with
the convicts. They are on the best terms in
the world with them. Every one OF these
men in stripes might walk out of prison and
the trailers would only beat their tails APP
| provingly upon the ground and look dogs
| good-by. There isn't anything OF the
watchdog instinct about them. They are
utterly worthless save for one thing. They
are as friendly to the stranger as to the man
WHO IebuS THEN. lU6y uc III IHc ollduc anu
| sleep and eat. They do not even fight among
| themselves. But let them be called out and
| the trail be given them. 1t matters not
whose trail tits.
In this connection Mr.. Simmons tells some
| interesting things about following the hounds.
| he has had years of experience. The only
difficulty" he says, sis in the first 200 yards
| of the chase 1t seems to take that distance
| for the dogs to get the scent fixed. If we put
| the dogs on trail and before they have COW
L 70 hnF
body has crossed the course Of the one we are
following, there is danger that they will leave
/ the right trail and go after the wrong person.
| But when the first 200 yards have been COW
cred the chase is pretty sure. 1t doesn't mat
| ter then if many persons have crossed the
| path of the prisoner; the dogs follow the
scent without any doubt. AS they run their
blood warns up and they grow surer"
Mr.. Simmons was asked about the various
devices adopted to throw the dogs on the
scent. "Dogs of pure breed and good train
| ing" he replied, lit is almost impossible to
throw off. Dragging brush behind will not
do It, | have trailed men through running
water, and even on horseback. One OF the
very few cases have known OF getting away
was where the prisoner jumped into wagon;
That threw the dogs off. We have trailed
prisoners right into and through the streets
of Birmingham. That, OF course Is hard.
Hundreds of people may have tramped over
the ground after the convict had passed. On
| ly followed, and in the woods II Is impossible
to get away. We ran negro through big
swamp one time He got on mule and rode
nine miles, then got of and ran, but the dogs
followed the trail without break"
1.-THE scent which the dogs follow must be
in the feet" Mr.. Simmons said in reply to
another question. After that negro have
just apoken of got on the mule the dogs kept
bushes where his feet touched as lie rode
along. Changing shoes doesn't help a man
any. The dogs are not thrown off by that
trick The bigger ears they have the truer
they are on the trail When they have run
take a convict they will do him HARM"
sit is claimed in some of the Georgis
camps that the hounds don't bite-that they
only bay when they come up with the con,
Wet? ?" was suggested
"That isn't true with the pure breed OF
trailers. They will take hold If they come
on the man while they are hot, and will tear
him. The bites make bad wounds they ar,
very apt to tester. When we start the dog
to see that they don't injure the convict
Usually he takes to tree. When we com,
up we drive the dogs back. As soon as the,
cool off little they are entirely harmless"
Hanging up IN q stoekade yard is q qnee
be taken for bundle Of life preservers, II
Is a heavily padded suit of clothes Once
week, or possibly little oftener, a convic
is dressed in the padded suit and told to 90
He is given a two hours start usually. Thel
the dogs are led out and showed the trail
away they go, twelve or fifteen in the pack
the older hounds in front and the pups benin,
every one of them yelping. This is deaC
earnest work for the dogs, but of course
game of "hare and hounds for the trusty il
the padded suit. and farce for the officials
who ride to the point previously agreed upol
for the chase to end. Practice has reduced
the chance for escape from the dogs to con
siderably less than one in ten, and the know
ledge of this on the. part Of the convicts rem
ders them little inclined to make the effort
I The dogs at Pratt mines are more feare
than the guards are.
'sHow fast will the dogs get over the groun
ON the trail?" Mr.. Simmons was asked.
1.-The other day." he replied. 1--WE starte
: a convict out and appointed a place abor
six miles distant where he was to take to
tree when the dogs were uncomfortable near
The negro travelled for two hours, doublin
and trying various tricks to confuse the dog:
Then we put the dogs on the trail and rod
direct to the place where the chase was /
end. We went about as fast as we wanted
ride. When we got TO the tree which the ne
gro had climbed the dogs were there. havin
gone over all the ground he had covered /
the two hours. They must have run it a
less than four minutes to the mile. WheI
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